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Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Benguet dad supports mayor's opposition to flyover project
By Jane Cadalig
BENGUET Provincial Board (PB) Member Marciano Inso supported Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon's opposition to the proposed construction of the flyover at the Baguio General Hospital rotunda.
Inso, in Tuesday's regular board meeting, said it is deemed proper for Benguet to support Yaranon on the P88 million-project, considering that the construction would embrace a site, which is not part of the Marcos Highway.
The money left from the rehabilitation of the thoroughfare is being considered for the proposed flyover.
Inso emphasized the money should not be used to fund a project that is not part of the highway. "We go with the (argument) of the mayor that the money is an extra from the fund that was used for the rehabilitation of the Marcos Highway, and as such, should be plowed back to its development. The fund should not be diverted to a place which is outside the (jurisdiction) of the highway. We believe that BGH (Baguio General Hospital) rotunda is no longer part of Marcos Highway as it is (bounded) at the junction of Legarda Road."
A resolution of support, subject to the approval of the Board, will be drafted to formalize Inso's move.
Yaranon, in previous statements, stressed that the use of the savings from the rehabilitation of the Marcos Highway, which is about P41 million, to fund the Baguio hospital flyover would result to technical malversation of funds and would violate certain provisions of the 1987 Revised Administrative Code.
This, as the mayor said the construction would extend to portions of Kennon Road, Governor Pack Road, Kisad Road and part of the Burnham Park reservation, and that there is no certification on the availability of existing funds.
He also issued a memorandum requesting the City Engineer's Office to advise the contractor of the flyover as well as the Public Works and Highways not to cut any tree within the proposed project site.
The barangay chairman of BGH compound also did not support the issuance of a permit to cut the trees that would be affected by the proposed construction.
Barangay Chairman Alberto Tela, in a letter to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) acting regional director Mariano Alquiza, said he could not issue any certification to any applicant for the cutting of trees within the construction area.
The DPWH issued a certification confirming that as per joint inspection of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-Cenro) and the agency, at least 29 trees will be affected by the implementation of the project.
The certification needed a barangay certification as a prerequisite in the eventual issuance of a tree-cutting permit by the DENR.
(January 19, 2005 issue)
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